Dysfunctional Faith-Alone justification
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I have looked up words like "justify", "justified" and "justification" in the New Testament, and I couldn't find anywhere where it says that God justifies works of faith. It is saved sinners who are justified, not their works.
Faith in the Scriptures can save us. We cannot believe Jesus, if we do not believe His words.
2Ti 3:15
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Jhn 15:3
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
True. We can't obey Jesus' words, except by His Spirit.
True. Believing His words alone does not save us, but doing His word is life:
James{1:22}
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Luk 6:46
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
In the ongoing argument about faith and works, many of the Christians that preach faith alone justification to themselves and others, give only two kinds of gospels: Theirs and another gospel of works only.
If we are not preaching their faith alone justification, then they say we must be preaching a salvation of works, and not of faith. For them, it can only be either one or the other. That's not true.
They do not acknowledge the gospel of salvation by faith with works, and justification by works of faith.
There are 3 kinds of gospels being preached: Faith alone justification, works alone justification, and works of faith justification. Only one of them is by the Scriptures of God's apostles. I only preach the latter, not the first 2.
Jas 2:1
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Since James 2 begins with having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the works are the commandments of the Lord, then we must conclude the works that justify us are by the faith of our Lord.
While it's good to not add any words to Scripture, it's no good to separate Scripture from context.
James{2:21}
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?...Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
And finally the specific work of justification is that of Abraham offering up Isaac. And the work that justifies is counter to having faith alone. Therefore, it must be a work of faith.
We are not saved sinners, but saved saints. We are not doing works of evil with the faith of our Lord Jesus, but only doing good.
3 John{1:11}
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that is doing good is of God: but he that is doing evil hath not seen God.
Rev 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Jhn 8:29
And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
God is only pleased by the faith of His Son Jesus Christ. Sinners cannot have faith toward God, because all sinners are guilty of unbelief.
Mark{1:15}
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We that were sinners of the world, needed to repent and receive the gift of Jesus' faith, that we can now have faith toward God to do good, and not evil as before.
Eph 2:1
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
1Co 6:11
And such were some of you: but now ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
John 5:39
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.
Jesus Christ is the subject of the scripture.
The Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit is what leads us in the Christian life now.
You can be a rock solid Christian without even reading the N.T.
For probably 18 centuries the majority of the general public could not even read the written text.
They only heard preaching and teaching.
You quoted
2 Timothy 3:14-15
But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
The subject is Timothy (2 Timothy) "But as for you".
Paul was not talking about the N.T when Paul used the word "the Holy Scriptures".
Paul was referring to the O.T. in 2 Timothy the N.T would not be known as canon for centuries to come.
Nevertheless, over 97% of Christians today would not read the N.T regularly and way more would not even fully,
understand the text.
Academically minded folk will diligently read the text and even they include tradition and interpretations, when
reading the text.
We live a spiritual life in Christ.
In regard to Acts 10:35, working righteousness is the result of having been saved through faith. We are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done (Titus 3:5) but works of righteousness in connection with salvation are the fruit of, not the means of obtaining salvation. God accepts those who fear Him and work righteousness from a right principle, and to a right end, yet their fear of Him and working righteousness are not the origin of their acceptance; but are to be considered as descriptive of the persons, who are accepted by Him in Christ.
Our dispute is about the need of the Scriptures themselves for salvation, whether heard or read.
Inquisitor said: The scripture cannot save you.
ATG said: Faith in the Scriptures saves us. We cannot believe Jesus, if we do not believe His words.
The Scripture answers for itself, about it's own worth in making us wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
We cannot believe the Scripture, and also say the Scriptures are not necessary for salvation. The Scriptures are necessary to have faith in Jesus Christ, rather than another nonscriptural Christ.
1 Cor 15:2
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul was writing Holy Scriptures to Timothy first, and now to us.
And, But as for you, certainly does apply to us, and knowing the Scriptures to make us wise unto salvation.
The Scriptures not being believed and done, does not negate the need of Scriptures to be saved by Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not rejecting reading the Scriptures to learn of Him, but is rebuking unbelief in Scriptures when read.
True. Through the words written and preached for walking with Jesus.
If we are not believing Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, then we are not believing the Jesus Christ, nor being led of His Spirit.
Luk 24:25
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
1Jo 2:14
I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
And so, in conclusion, it's the Scriptures that are necessary for salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures.
Act 17:2
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
1 Cor 15:2
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Whether heard or read or both, without knowing the Scriptures of God, we cannot possibly believing in the true Son and Christ of God, Jesus.
That's certainly not true through the first centuries after Christ, nor of the past several centuries with the spread of the Bible through all languages.
When the Scriptures are withdrawn from the people of God, or vica versa, then we become idolatrous, superstitious, and ignorant of God's words and commandments.
1Sa 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
This has occurred at times, including during Judges until Samuel, and during several centuries in Europe under Papal rule. There was no lack of the Scriptures during the prophets and the coming of Jesus Christ, nor during His life on earth, nor for several centuries following, and especially not for today: The only lack is of faith in God's words and disobedience to what He says.
Luk 8:21
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
The NT Scriptures are known when they are written in the gospels and epistles of the 1st century, ending with Revelation of Jesus Christ written by John.
Col 4:16
And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
We can decry lack of Bible reading among Christians, and promote more of it. But we do not dismiss the Scriptures as necessary to a faithful walk with Jesus.
1Jo 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
1Jo 2:14
I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Believing and obeying the Scriptures ensures our faith and upright walk with Jesus Christ.
There is no walk with Jesus Christ, that is not after the Spirit of truth. However, there are false Christs and spirits:
1Jo 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
We prove the Christ and spirit we walk with, through the Scriptures of the true Christ Jesus, written by the Spirit of God.
2 Tim 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
1Jo 4:6
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Ezra 8:8
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
We cannot ensure we live in the Spirit of truth of Jesus Christ, if we are ignorant of the words written of Him.
And so in conclusion, The scriptures themselves are necessary to be saved and walk with Jesus. And if there is a shortage of reading the Scriptures, then that is a judgment upon the believers, not upon the Scriptures themselves.
God has always admonished His people to read His words for ourselves, in order not to fall into temptation, disobedience, and idolatry of other gods and christs.
Deu 31:12
Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
Deu 6:6
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 11:18
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Act 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Rev 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
it seems to me one who claims to do the work of the Lord should know what it is they do.
Not really. If one is walking in the Spirit, doing a good work might even seem simply like a logical good thing to do.
It does not have to be directly God related at all, as you seemed to maybe be hinting at. You might not even be consciously
doing a good deed as onto the Lord. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
If you are spiritually mature you should not even know you are doing a good work.
It will seem like the right thing to do simply because of your transformed life!
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the
righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer
them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you
did it to me.’ Matthew 25:35-40
God will provide the opportunities for doing good works.
I disagree. Walking in the Sprit means one who is mature in Christ. The fruits of the Spirit re seen by those who watch us. If you do a work unto the Lord you should be able testify of them or people will testify of them. When you say "walk in the Spirit you must also define and explain what that it too. Not just say " I walk in the Spirit."
That is not true . There are blessing that are received that speak of the person who is in the will of God. Finally you provide from the Lord an example of a good work. Thank you.
